Flexible bags – With means to maintain the bag mouth in an open configuration
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-01
2001-10-16
Foster, Jim (Department: 3728)
Flexible bags
With means to maintain the bag mouth in an open configuration
C248S099000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302583
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to doing yard work around the house and more particularly concerns a method and apparatus for collecting fallen leaves, lawn clippings, and trash when doing yard work and inserting such material into a trash bag which is fully open without anyone being required to stand there and hold it open. This invention also relates to a package for a trash bag rod or strap for holding the trash bag open, and a trash bag with a series of preformed holes for receiving the strap.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Anyone who has done yard work around their home is familiar with plastic trash bags. These are generally made from film ranging from 0.5 to 1.2 mil thickness. The common types available differ somewhat in diameter and length but not by much. They are advertised as fitting into garbage cans up to thirty gallons, or thirty-three gallons, or thirty-nine gallons.
These bags are very handy and economical. The problem arises when it comes to filling them. An accepted technique is to place the open bag into a metal or plastic garbage can and fold the lip of the bag over the top edge of the can. This assumes that a can is available, the can is empty, and it is the correct shape to suit the bag.
Under ideal conditions, the bag in the can accepts leaves, grass clippings, pine needles, or whatever, without falling into the can with the trash. Once the bag is full, it must be lifted from the can. According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,463 which issued on Dec. 10, 1985 to Boyd, “The load in a trash bag may typically be as high as 30-50 lbs.” Column 1, lines 21-22.
To lift that weight is in itself not easy, but to add to the difficulty the lower portion of the bag is swelling and gripping the can like a cork in a bottle. Now the can must be held down while the full bag is drawn out.
To fill a trash bag without using a can as an assist is also very difficult. It is almost impossible to lay a bag on the ground and arrange the opening to anywhere near its full extent. Bags having a hem top edge with a drawstring are somewhat better in this regard than bags with a simple sheared edge, but even the hemmed bags leave much to be desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
My inventive method and apparatus is intended to alleviate the above problems. It includes a reusable flexible resilient rod or strap which is placed into the top edge of a plastic bag at its open end. As the rod tries to straighten out, it stretches the bag opening into a circle which is approximately the maximum opening possible. When the bag is on the ground, and is wide open, an arm load of trash may be placed within this circle. The rod and the bag edge are then gripped on opposite sides and lifted. The trash drops to the bottom and the bag is ready for the next arm load of trash. When the bag is full, the rod is slipped out to be used again, and the bag is closed.
The rod may be made from one of many materials such a metal, plastic, or even wood. Synthetic resin plastic is probably the most economical since it may be extruded. There are many types of acceptable thermoplastic material from which to choose, for example, a polyethylene material.
The size in cross section of the rod and the stiffness of the rod may affect the ease of weaving the rod into the edge portion of the trash bag. A TEFLON plastic, a round cross section of about three sixteenth inch diameter works well.
A flexible resilient rod or strap having a cross section with a barbell configuration with two balls being joined together by a web which is thinner than the balls results in savings in material by comparison with a rod which is round or rectangular in cross section.
The length of the rod is not all that critical. It is convenient if the end portions of the rod overlap somewhat outside the bag when the rod is installed in the bag. This provides an end portion which may be gripped to pull the rod out of the bag once the bag is full. Since common sizes of trash bags are five feet or five and one half feet in circumference, a six foot rod length is convenient. However, longer or shorter is acceptable. The rod is helpful in filling the trash bags even if the rod is a little shorter than the bag circumference.
The rod ends may be cut off square to the length. However, cutting the ends of the rod on a bias to form a pointed end is a little more helpful when weaving the rod into the bag, and is the preferred embodiment.
There are two basic types of bag. Those with a drawstring have a hem with cutouts on opposite sides of the hem to give access to the drawstring. It is very convenient to slip the rod into a cutout and push it through the hem. However, the rod travels only 90 degrees around the bag because these bags have a vertical seam on both sides which runs from the bottom to the top of the bag. There are three ways to get the rod past the seam, and they are as follows.
First, you may insert the front end portion of the rod through a cutout into the interior of the hem and pierce the hem wall by pushing the rod from inside of the hem through the outside wall of the hem just before the seam, and return the rod into the inside of the hem just past the seam by piercing the outside hem wall with the rod from outside the hem. This procedure is repeated for the second seam and the rod travels inside the hem until the rod exits through the cutout where it first entered.
Second, using a knife, you may slit the top of the hem for an inch plus/minus on both sides of the seams. The rod is then easily passed out one slit, over the seam, and then returned through the next slit.
Third, using scissors, cut away the top edge of the hem for about an inch on both sides of the seam. This is by far the most convenient passage for the rod out of one slot, pass over the seam, and return through the next slot to the inside of the hem. Bag manufacturers may provide this cutout at the same time the drawstring cutout is made.
The remaining types of trash bags have various closure techniques. However, they have the common feature of having no hem. Therefore, to install a rod, it is necessary to pierce the bag wall with the end of the rod. This is done with an in and out weaving action all along the bag circumference. Location of the rod from the bag top edge and the spacing of the pierced holes are not critical. The rod may preferably be one to three inches below the bag edge, and the pierced holes may be six to eight inches apart.
A series of openings around the top perimeter of the trash bag may be preformed by the manufacturer so as to make it unnecessary for the bag user to pierce holes in the bag with the end of the rod.
A package is provided for the trash bag rod which holds the rod in a coiled position but with both ends of the rod held in straight position so that when the coiled rod is released from the package the rod straight end portion is more easily threaded through the perimeter edge portion of a trash bag than a rod with a curved end portion.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2551044 (1951-05-01), Ottinger et al.
patent: 3653583 (1972-04-01), Meyer
patent: 4106734 (1978-08-01), Walitalo
patent: 5092681 (1992-03-01), Ashley, III
patent: 5116138 (1992-05-01), Macsenti et al.
patent: 5135222 (1992-08-01), Spector
patent: 5451107 (1995-09-01), Ricker
Earley John F. A.
Earley III John F. A.
Foster Jim
Harding Earley Follmer & Frailey
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